Better off with deal we have rather than Brexit

I am as sick of the Brexit arguing as anyone. I get the temptation to ‘get this over with’.

Even if it means accepting a loss of power and influence over EU rules we will continue to have to follow, risking Northern Irish peace and years’ more weak economic growth, more borrowing, lost investment and more jobs moving abroad.

As even the rosiest government estimates expect.

But if we don’t change course then as the saying goes, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

May’s disastrous deal will lock us into a wasted decade of trade negotiations with our most important economic partner.

We’ll be talking about Brexit at the expense of everything else for years to come.

The country will remain as divided and angry as ever.

It doesn’t have to be like this. We can and must demand better of our government. (And for that matter, from an official opposition that cannot hit an open goal, and appears not even to be trying.)

May should let us vote on whether or not to accept her deal or to move on.

Let the country achieve some closure by either endorsing the deal or dumping it and focussing on job creation and security, education, housing, combating climate change and everything else that is being neglected.

I say to Gillian Keegan: take a stand. Like your colleague Amber Rudd you know that we’re better off with the deal we already have.

You cannot please everyone. So put the country first, support the cross-party call for a referendum on the deal and help get us out of this mess.